Breech mechanism for guns.



' Paton-tad 00c. I902.

C. HOLMST'RfiM' BREECH MECHANISM FOR cures.

(Applicationfilud Aug. 23, 1901.)

4 Sheatjs-Shee! l.

(Nd Model.)

' Ho. 75,073. Patented Dec. 2, I902.

G. HOLiwiSTRQEfi.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

(ADulieation filed Aug. 23, 1901.) v v No Moduli 4 Shepis -Sheet 2.

I .Patented Doc; 2. I902.

'nfgimsmflm v BREE'GHMECHANISM FOR-GUNS.

(A licatio'i filed Aug. 23. 1901.)

4 Sheets-8heet 3.

(No Modem m. 12mm. Patanted Dec. 2. I962; s. HQLMSTBQEQ.

BBEECH PEEGHAHISM FOR GUNS.

(Applica bion filed Aug, 23. 19OL) 4 Sheeis-$hept 4.

(m mam no to'the class of such mechanism in which a rotary block or plug is mounted in a carrier y he ills t Basset-i resonates To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known l, CARL HOLMSTRdM, engmeer, a Swedish subject, residing at Parkhead Forge, Rolling Mills, and Steel Works,

Glasgow, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to v the Breech Mechanism of Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the breech xnechanism of gnns,'and has reference particularly which can be swung about a pivot or hingepin in opening and closing the oreech of the gun.

According to my invention I employ a cylindrical block provided with a do Bangs obtn'rator having a slightly-conical or a cylindrical pad; and iny objects are to efiect the locking and unlocking of the block Without angular or rotative movement about its axis and also to obviate the necessity for cutting away the threads 011 the block or of its chamher to permit the an hlocl; to freely out of the said chamber.

In order that my saidinvention may" he clearly understood and readily carried into efiect, I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are horizontal central sections of the breech of a gun with my improvemerits applied thereto, Fig. 1 representin the breech closed, and Fig. 2 the breech open. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the breech closed.

Figs. 4 and. 5 are detail sections taken on. the

line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and Tare vertical.

' sections of the pivot of the carrier, taken, re

.spectively, on the'lincs 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a collar that moves with the carrier and operates as hereinafter explained. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a plan and a vertical section of the upper part of thefcartrier detachedl' a isthe'gnn; h the breech-block; c, the swinging carrier; "d,;its pivot, and e the obturator. v

file the rotary bnshing'of rectangular cross section, having on its'onter circumferences continuons screw-thread engaging ritha corresponding thread on the interior of theannnlar cavity formed for its reception in the ilef ii cant nonns'raotn O srnornIcATIoN i'orming art of I'Qretters lt'o. tract dated December Application filed August 23,1991. Serial in. 213,035. on model.)

i Seer-Lane;

a tie i gun. The inner circumference of said rotary bushing fis formed with ordinary interrnpted screw-threads with which corresponding threads on the block b are adapted to engage when said bushing is angularly shifted. The said block is fixed to the carrier by any suitable means, so as to be integral theremental grooves k in the carrier. This ring is furnished with projections Z Z, which are so arranged asto enter recesses m m in the rotary bushing f when the carrier is swung into its closed position. The ring 2' is connected, by means of a link at, to the hand-lever o,which is of the ordinary hind employed for actuating the carrier to open and close the breech, a The point of connection of'the link it to the said ring t' is such that as the hand-lever 0 is swung outwardly the ring t will be'caused to shift angnlarly in the carrier, and thereby correspondingly turn the bushing) through v the intervention of the projections l and recesses m. This operation causes the interrupted threads on the bushing f to become disengaged from those on the block Z7, and'by the continued movement of the hand-lever 0 the carrier will be swung open andthe block withdrawn from. the gen, as represented in in order to retain the ring '11 in the position it has assumed during its angular movement, as aforesaid, it has a recess 29, with which ongages a-spring bolt or catch g on the earlier. This spring bolt or catch occupies the position represented in Fig. i so long as the carrier is in its closed position-that is to say, its nose is pressed against the surface of the gun and keeps the lug r of said. catch retracted. against the resistance of the spring 3.

thering t is shifted angularly, as aforesaid, to 'unlock the bushing) front the block the recess on saidring fl: arrivcsopposite the lug not the catch, anda's the carrier is swung ontwardlyiiihe spring '3 pushesontthe catch and brings its lugr into the said recess p, (see Fig. 5,) thereby locking'the ring 'i-in its shifted, positio When the carrie'r is bushing is formed in its periphery with a recess or notch 75, which at the completion of the unlocking movement of the bushing arrives opposite a sliding rod or bar it, provided in the wall of the gun. The outer end of this red or bar is furnished with a studor studs that engage with a cam or campath v on the boss of the carrier near the pivot d. This cam or cam-path is so shaped that when the carrier is closed, Fig. 1, the sliding rod or bar it is pulled toward the said pivot d and its outer end withdrawn into a position of disengagement with the said notch t in the bushingf. WVhen, however, the said carrier is swung open, Fig. 2, the cam or cam-path operates to push the rod or bar into engagement with the said notch 15, and thus lock the bushing in its angularly-shifted position.

- For the purpose of enabling the carrier to move with its block in' a rectilinear course parallel with the axis of the gun during the time that the bushing is angularly shifted in unlocking and locking the block the brackets w w on the gun are formed with elongated holes to receive the pivot-pin d. The upper and lower portions of the carrier are provided withcollars am, connected therewith by ribs y, entering corresponding grooves in the carrier. These collars have horns CI! at, which when the said pivot has shifted in its elongated holes and the carrier is being swung assume a transverse position relatively to the said elongated holes and act as stop-pieces to prevent the said carrier from shifting or shaking about its pivotal axis. (See Fig. 2.)

The hand-lever o is, as already stated, of the well-known construction and operates to swing the carrier to and fro about its hinge in the usual manner. It therefore needs no further description.

The rectilinear movement of the block during the locking and unlocking movement of the bushing, enables the block and its carrier to assume such a position relatively to the breech of the gun that the obturator 2 will be withdrawn far enough to enable it to be swung out of the breech, together with the block.

The extent of this rectilinear movement of the block can be augmented by increasing the angle of the interrupted threads g of the said bushing and the block relatively to the continuous threads on the exterior of the said bushing. In some cases I may split or divide the afore said bushing f in one or more places to reduce friction when the bushing is turned.

Any ordinary electrical or percussion mechanism may be employed for firing the gun.

I am aware that it has before been proposed to employ a block which is non-rotatably mounted in the swinging carrier and to lock and unlock such block by the angular movement of a ring or bushing; but in such cases the block has been tapered and not cylindrical and has not been provided with an obturator of the de Bange type. Consequently the difficulty of swinging the block and its obturator from the breech without cutting away the threads to permit of such swinging did not arise. Moreover, the block was BOUfOIIIlGd with screw-threads, but with concentric fillets or ribs moving rectilinearly in the rotary ring or bushing, as in the case in the construction I have above set forth. 7

What I claim, and desire to secureby'Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. Inbreech mechanism for guns, the com bination with a swinging carrier and means for actuating it, of a cylindrical block provided with a de Bange obturator and non-rotatably mounted on the carrier, and having interrupted threads on its exterior of a rotary bushing having its interior and exterior sur faces parallel, ofinterrupted threads on the interior of said bushing, and continuous threads on the exterior to engage with corresponding threads of the gun, said threads on' the interior and exterior surfaces of the bush ing being of opposite hand, of a rotary device on the carrier adapted to engage with said rotary bushing when the carrier is swunginward, and of means for angularly shifting said rotary device and through it the rotary bushing so that the block will be moved rectilinearl y in said bushing substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination with a swinging carrier and means for, actuating it, of a cylindrical block provided with a de Bange obturator and non-rotatably mounted on the carrier and having interrupted threads on its exterior, of a rotary bushing having its interior and exterior surfaces parallel, of interrupted threads on the interior of said bushing, and continuous threads on the'exterior to-engage with corresponding threads on the gun, said threads on the interior and exterior surfaces of the bushing being of opposite hand, of a rotary ring on the carrier provided with lugs for engaging with recesses in said rotary bushing when the carrier isswung inward, of means for retaining the said bushing and ring in their shifted position while the breech is open and of means for enabling the carrier to move rectilinearly with the block during the locking and unlocking of the latter and its rectilinear movement in the bushing, substantially as described.

In breech mechanism for guns, the combination with the swinging carrier, the means for swingingit, the cylindrical non-rotary block having a de Bange obturator, the screwthreaded bushing having itsinterior and exterior surfaces parallel and provided with threads of opposite hand, and the rotary ring on the carrier for angularly shifting said bushing, of a spring-catch on the carrier for engaging with a recess in the rotary ring of the carrier, of a sliding rod in the gun for engaging with a notch in the rotary bushing and of a cam on. the carrier near its pivot for ac tuatiug said sliding rod substantially as described.

4. In. breech vmechanism for guns, the coinbination with the swinging carrier, and means for swinging it, the cylindrical non-rotary block having a de Bange obtu rator, the rotary bushing having its interior and exterior surfaces parallel and provided with threads of opposite hand, and the rotary ring on the carrier for angularly shifting said bushing; of brackets on the gun for supporting the carrier, said brackets being formed with elongated holes for the pivot-pin ofthe carrier, to permit of the latter participating in a rectilinear movement with the block during the locking and unlocking of the latter substantially as described. 7

5. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination with the swinging carrier, the means for swinging it, the cylindrical n0n.- rotary block having a de Bange obturator, the rotary of horns on said collars adapted to assume a transverse position relatively to the elongated holes during the swinging of the carrier and to thereby prevent looseness of the pivot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of July, 1901.

I a CARL HOLMSTROM.

Witnesses:

J NO. MGFADZEAN,

J. L. J. HALL. 

